Reports of the National Center for Science Education

Title: 

From the World-Wide Flood to the World Wide Web: Creationism in the Digital Age

Author(s): 

Stephen C Burnett

Select Year: 

2008

Date: 

July–August

INTRODUCTION

Recent research has shown strong support for science among the public in the US (National Science Board 2006). At the same time, this research shows that this same public is generally not well-informed about scientific issues (National Science Board 2006). In fact, the NSB report concludes that “the public’s lack of knowledge about basic scientific facts and the scientific process can have far reaching implications” (National Science Board 2006). This problem is not limited to adults, as tests of scientific literacy rate US students below the level of their counterparts in many other countries (National Science Board 2006). In particular, understanding of evolutionary biology is especially poor among Americans (Miller and others 2006), and it seems to be an issue from grade school (Michigan House Civics Commission 2006) to college (Holden 2006a). While this issue exists in other countries, the United States is the arguably the developed nation where the problem is most severe (Lazcano 2005; Miller and others 2006). Clearly, public perception of evolutionary biology is out of line with the actual state of science, and efforts to correct this should be a high priority.

Reports of the National Center for Science Education

Year: 

2002

Date: 

January–April

Reviewer: 

Donald Nield

Work under Review

Title: 

Darwin's God: Evolution and the Problem of Evilcite>

Author(s): 

Cornelius G. Hunter

Reports of the National Center for Science Education

Title: 

Michael Behe and "Intelligent Design" on National Public Radio

Author(s): 

Steven Schafersman

Select Year: 

2002

Date: 

January–April

Reports of the National Center for Science Education

Title: 

Anti-evolutionists Form, Fund Think Tank

Author(s): 

Eugenie C. Scott

Select Year: 

1997

Date: 

January–February

A press release dated August 10, 1996, announced that two private foundations have granted the Seattle-based Discovery Institute nearly a million dollars to establish the Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture. The Center will sponsor conferences, disseminate research and support postdoctoral students.

Proving ID = Creationism

NCSE staff worked behind the scenes, using NCSE archives and subpoenaed documents, to find the missing links tying "intelligent design" to its creationist roots.